Arizona · National Park trail

Trail of Time: The Main Trail of Time Portal

in Arizona · centroid 65 mi from Flagstaff

Starting from Yavapai Geology Musuem and walking west, once you have walked the short Million Year Trail 150 yards(136 m), you will encounter the second Trail of Time portal, which marks the beginning of the main Trail of Time, that represents the two billion year timeline of Grand Canyon geology. From here, the walk back through geologic time is scaled so that each meter (1 long step) on the timeline is equal to one million years of Earth's history. The golden "magic meter", on the ground next to the rock column, represents all the things that you saw on the Million Year Trail.

The uppermost layered Paleozoic rocks of Grand Canyon, the Kaibab Formation and Coconino Sandstone, are the theme for the seating rocks and paving stones of this portal. See if you can find the proto-reptile tracks visible in several of the slabs of Coconino Sandstone used for this portal's paving stones. In the seating rocks surrounding the portal, look for gastropod fossils in the pieces of Kaibab limestone or take a closer look at the fine layering of sand grains in the large pieces of Coconino Sandstone.

To the west, look for a wayside exhibit explaining how long it took for the Colorado River to carve Grand Canyon. Touch the river-polished rock! Trail of Time Overview The Trail of Time is the world's largest geoscience exhibition at one of the world's grandest geologic landscapes, Grand Canyon National Park.

States: Arizona
Trail type: National Park trail
Centroid nearest city: Flagstaff, AZ · 65 mi · ~1.9 hr drive
Centroid coords: 36.0652°, -112.1210°

About Grand Canyon National Park

National Park

This trail is inside Grand Canyon National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $35 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/trail-of-time-the-main-trail-of-time-portal.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Trail of Time: The Main Trail of Time Portal and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

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Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Flagstaff, AZ — 65 miles away (~1.9 hr drive). See accommodation in Flagstaff on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.

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Arizona